It’s early when I wake the next day, curled around Copper like I am most mornings. Not that he’s ever mentioned it. We always fall asleep on opposite sides of the bed, but during the night, I gravitate towards him.
Not wanting to wake him up, I slide slowly out of bed. He came to bed a few hours after me, wanting to spend as much time as possible with his family. I don’t blame him. If I’d had the chance to spend time with mine, I would’ve done the same thing.
I’ve only had four hours of sleep, but now that I’m awake, I know I won’t drift off again. I’ve always been like that. Once I’m up, my brain refuses to switch off.
I tiptoe to the saddlebags Copper brought in last night. Finding my leggings, I pull them on, followed by thick socks and a fleece over my T-shirt. I open the door and slip into the silent hallway. All the bedroom doors are still shut, so I assume everyone is still asleep until I enter the kitchen to see Thea and her little girl. Shea sits in a highchair, shovelling cereal into her mouth, and Thea looks exhausted.
“Morning,” she greets as I walk in.
“Morning, Thea.”
Shea eyes me as if she’s not sure how to react to this new person who’s appeared in her life.
I so feel that, baby girl.
I get the coffee started, and seeing that Thea’s mug is nearly empty, I refill it with tea from the pot on the side before sliding it onto the table. She lifts her head from her arm and looks at me blearily. “Thanks, Bella.”
I smile. “You’re welcome.”
Tired mums are nothing new to me. Many of the Crow Old Ladies seemed to get pregnant and give birth at the same time, so I got used to seeing sleep-deprived women ambling aroundthe kitchen at the manor, going about their day with eyes half shut.
Opening the fridge, I look inside and see breakfast tray bakes ready to go in the oven. Maggie must have brought them with her. The container of pancake mix makes me smile because it’s not something we Brits typically have for breakfast. That’s not to say I don’t know how to make them. I love them as much as anyone else.
Shea bangs her spoon on the table, and Thea jerks as if she was nodding off.
“If she’ll stay with me, you can go back to bed,” I offer.
“No.” Thea sighs and stands, rubbing her hands over her face. “Thanks for the offer, but if I go back to bed now, I’ll feel like shite when I wake up in a few hours. What are you doing?” she asks as she plucks Shea from the highchair and takes her to the sink to clean her up.
“I’m getting started on breakfast,” I reply, taking a sip of my coffee before setting it down near the stove. “Not that I’ll need to do much other than cook the bacon, sausage, and pancakes. Maggie made breakfast casseroles for the rest.”
I turn to look at Thea, who has Shea propped on her hip. This house isn’t exactly babyproof. “There’s a travel cot in the storeroom off the garage. Do you want me to get it so Shea can play safely? I’m sure I have some plastic bowls and wooden spoons around here somewhere she can play with.”
Thea looks relieved. “That would be grand, thank you. Her toys are in our room, but I don’t want to wake Coal. I hate when they ride tired.”
“It’s no bother,” I assure her, walking towards the door that leads to the garage.
Ten minutes later, I’ve got the travel cot up, and Shea is happily banging away with the plastic bowls. I smile down at her.
“You’ve done this before.” Thea remarks.
“I have,” I agree. “Many times.”
A pang of sadness hits me as I think of my nieces and nephews. They will have grown so much over the last few years, and I’ve missed it all.
Shaking off my melancholy, I turn back to the stove to prepare the sausage and bacon.
“I’ll get the weapons Copper ordered,” Thea says, finishing her tea. “You can have a look and see if you need me to make any changes.”
I nod. “Sounds good.”
Thea goes to the lounge and grabs a duffel bag from the top of the bookcase. Bringing it back to the kitchen, she places it on the table and opens it. I check the sausage and bacon, making sure they don’t burn as she unpacks.
With breakfast coming along, I peek over Thea’s shoulder. I’m impressed. These guns are bloody amazing, and I tell Thea so. They’re lightweight, and she’s brought a variety of sizes, some small enough to wear in an inner thigh holster. I’ll be much happier going to work with a few of those strapped to me.
While I’m trained to use everyday items as weapons, I like the security of carrying a firearm along with my knives.
Thea lays everything out on the table. We need to clean and reassemble the guns before we can test them. Copper and I can do that tomorrow evening after the gym. I know a place where we can test them.
